William Murray: An Artist and Longtime Stillwater Prison Educator | Minneapolis College of Art and Design

William Murray: An Artist and Longtime Stillwater Prison Educator

March 05, 2025
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William Murray

William Murray, an alum of MCAD and a respected artist and educator, passed away on November 11, 2024, at 76.

Murray dedicated over two decades to teaching at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Stillwater, where he transformed the fine arts program and helped incarcerated individuals express themselves through art. Known for his belief that art could be a form of emotional healing, Murray’s approach was instrumental in his students' personal growth.

After retiring in 2003, his artwork evolved to reflect his mental health struggles and experiences in the prison system. His 2013 exhibit Out of the Abyss highlighted both his work and that of his students.

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The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) acknowledges it is located on traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of Indigenous people. This is the ancestral homeland of the Dakota and Ojibwe people, who were forcibly exiled from the land because of aggressive and persistent settler colonialism. We recognize that this place has a complex and layered history. As a community dedicated to creativity, MCAD is committed to ongoing efforts to support and advocate for American Indian Nations and peoples.


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